"Naked and Bathing" - restoration of Dali’s masterpieces in Florida

The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida has announced the closure of the exhibition “Stripped Bare and Bathed: the Preservation of Dalí’s Masterworks”, which provides an opportunity to take a look at the dramatic process of preserving works of art.

Restoration of the Ecumenical Council (1960) Photo: Shanna Gillette / CL Tampa Bay

The museum in Florida opened on January 11, 2011 with an exhibition of La Revelación. For the first time in the world, visitors were able to see simultaneously all 96 paintings in the museum’s collection. The exhibition became a realization of the museum’s mission: the presentation of the works of the artist Salvador Dali.

It was within the framework of the implementation of its mission that the museum gave visitors the opportunity to observe the painstaking and dramatic process of restoration of paintings. A team of eight restorers worked on four masterpieces: Galacidalacidesoxiribunucleicacid, 1963; The Ecumenical Council (1960); “Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus” (The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, 1959), and “Hallucinogenic Toreador” (The Hallucinogenic Toreador, 1970).

Visitors to the exhibition could not only observe the work of the masters, but also ask them questions of interest. This is a rare opportunity to engage the public in the preservation of cultural heritage. Until September 9, in one of the halls of the museum you can see a documentary film on the restoration process. The project leader and initiator is Rustin Levenson, who is known throughout the world for her extensive work in preserving art. She is president and founder of the Art Conservation Fund in New York and Miami, a member of the American and International Institutes for the Conservation of Art, and chairman of the Visual Arts group at the American Institute for Nature Conservation.

Also, from June 9 to September 9, Dr. William Jeffett will present “Dali’s Carnaval” - a selection of etchings and lithographs by the artist on the theme of carnivals and festivals, and at the same time bearing the tinge of a tragic struggle between life and death. Most of these works have never been exhibited in museums. Here you can see "The Humorous Daydreams of Pantagreul" (The Humorous Daydreams of Pantagreul, 1973), "Dali Illustrates Casanova" (Dalí Illustrates Casanova, 1967) and other works by the master.

Anna Sidorova